Lahat ng Kabanata ng SHATTERED ICE:One rink, bound by betrayal : Kabanata 11 - Kabanata 20

Anthony's POV“Don’t start,” I said quietly, already knowing where this was going. The second he parked the car and followed me into the living room, I felt the shift. His silence wasn’t just silence, it was the calm before the storm. And now the storm had arrived.Isaac sighed, rubbing a hand down his face like he was already tired of the conversation before it even started. “We need to get the tests redone,” he muttered, looking me straight in the eyes.For a moment, I froze.I couldn’t even see him properly. His face was a blur, just shapes and shadows in the low light of the apartment. But then, slowly, my vision sharpened, like my eyes decided to cooperate just long enough to remind me what normal used to feel like. I let out a breath.“I just had tests done last month,” I muttered, dropping down into the couch. “I do it every two months and you know that.”Isaac nodded slowly, then leaned forward. “Then get them done again. If it’s degenerating faster than we expected…”“It’s n

Samantha’s POV Ann froze mid-stretch. Her arms slowly dropped to her sides, and she turned her head in Samantha’s direction. Though her eyes couldn’t focus, her face still carried that sharpness Samantha always noticed when Ann was caught off guard.“Why?” Ann asked. “Why are you suddenly bringing that up?”I shrugged, trying to look casual, but inside me, my chest felt heavy. I couldn’t tell Ann about Anthony, not yet, since Isaac had told me to keep it quiet. I wasn’t even sure I could say it out loud to anyone. But maybe… maybe hearing how Ann had handled it would help me prepare myself for the storm that was waiting.“I don’t know,” I said, forcing a weak smile. “Maybe I’m just curious. Or maybe I just… want to know.”Ann was quiet for a moment. Then, with surprising gentleness, she reached out a hand, as though she could see exactly where I was sitting. Her fingers brushed against mine, and she gave them a squeeze.“You really want to know?” Ann asked.“Yes.” I nodded, even tho

Anthony’s POV Samantha stood at the far side of the rink, her arms crossed tight, her dark hair pulled into a messy bun that somehow made her look sharper, not softer. She wore that same look she’d given me last night, only now it had an edge of calculation in it. Not quite judgment, but not trust either.I walked down to the benches, the sound of my boots heavy on the floor. She didn’t speak until I was right in front of her.“You came,” she said.Her voice wasn’t angry, but there was something sharp under it, like she wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or upset. I hadn’t expected that question from her at all. It felt less like anger and more like worry. I expected her to be angry that I hid my eye condition from her, not to show me care or worry. I had imagined her accusing me, telling me I betrayed her trust by keeping something so serious a secret, especially when she signed that contract with me. That was the kind of reaction I had prepared myself for, the one that would’ve

Samantha’s POVGraham stopped walking for a second, then caught up again, his tone sharp now. “You’re playing with fire, Sam. Don’t let me walk into this blindly. If you’re hiding something, it’s not just Anthony who could go down. You could go down with him.”His words cut deeper than I wanted to admit. He was right, keeping quiet could ruin me, too. My career. My future. Everything I’d worked for. But how could I betray Anthony like that?I bit the inside of my cheek, holding back the storm of words clawing at me. Finally, I just said, “Trust me on this, Graham. Please. Just… trust me.”He stared at me for a long moment, his lips pressed into a hard line. Then he shook his head. “I do trust you… That’s the only reason I’m not pushing harder. Isaac? I don’t trust, because he would always be all about business. But if Isaac drops something on us in there, and you already knew? Don’t expect me to clean it up without answers.” He muttered.My stomach sank as his words lingered in the ai

Samantha’s POV “I can’t believe you’re pulling this shit, Anthony!” The words ripped out of me like a wound. My throat burned as I spoke, anger and betrayal twisting in my chest. “You let me walk into this blind, literally blind, and now there’s a damn contract to make sure no one ever finds out?”Anthony’s face hardened, his jaw tight like stone. But behind that cold mask, I caught it, hurt. A flicker. A tiny crack in his armor. “I didn’t know about this.” He whispered.Maybe he really didn’t, but I fucking didn’t care. “Bullshit.” My voice rose, sharp and bitter.“I didn’t!” he barked back, louder this time, almost desperate. His fists clenched at his sides, and I saw the tremor in his hands.Isaac cut between us, his hand raised like a referee in a fight. “Enough. This isn’t about blame.” His tone was smooth, practiced, the kind of voice that could soothe sponsors and boardrooms but only poured oil on the fire for me. “It’s business. I’m protecting my client.”I turned on him so f